The National Football League has granted the New Orleans Saints\' request for a 24-hour extension for the lifting of the local television blackout for this Sunday\'s game vs. the Minnesota Vikings at the Superdome. As a result of the extension, the Saints now have until the close of business on Friday, Oct. 15, to sell out Sunday\'s game in order to lift the league-imposed television blackout. As of 5 pm today, the Saints had 5,100 tickets remaining.

\"We will continue working as hard as possible to achieve our 34th consecutive sellout of the Superdome for Sunday\'s game,\" said Saints Executive Vice President of Administration Arnold D. Fielkow. \"The NFL has been gracious enough to grant us this extension and our staff will continue working toward the goal of a sellout and the lifting of the local television blackout. This is our lone national television appearance for 2004 and we are asking our supporters to help us showcase our community and our great fans in a full Superdome on ESPN.\"

If the local television blackout is lifted, the game would also be broadcast locally on UPN 54 and Cox Cable. Saints tickets to Sunday\'s game vs. Minnesota, as well as to all remaining contests, are on sale now at the Saints Ticket Office in Metairie (504-731-1700 or toll free 877-666-1700), the Superdome ticket office, through Ticketmaster (800-877-0898), through the Saints\' web site at www.NewOrleansSaints.com and the Ticketmaster web site at www.ticketmaster.com. Also, fans across the Gulf South can purchase tickets locally by calling the Saints\' offices in Baton Rouge (225-927-8626), Mississippi Gulf Coast (228-863-9555), Mobile (251-479-2327) and Jackson (601-362-2294).